Lords of the Balance
by RainOwl
Summary: The hikaris found out about a little 'secret' that Destiny had planned, and are willing to go to the extremes to stop it... ON HIATUS
1. Prologue

Yugi downed his water in one gulp, still flushed from the energy they had poured into that spell.  
  
It had started simply enough.  
  
Ryou had found a book of spells while going through his attic, and had showed it to Yugi and Marik. They had tried one of the spells and . . . it had worked.  
  
After that it was just natural. Get together, slip away from the Yamis (which wasn't that hard) and do a spell. The spells became more and more complicated as they found more books, and they began to study Magick in earnest. Their Yamis, busy dealing with whatever was going on (they hadn't really bothered to find out) hadn't noticed a bit as the Hikaris . . . grew up, for lack of a better term. Everything was going smoothly, Magick entering every part of their lives, and them welcoming it, using spells at every turn, when it happened.  
  
Marik had done a dream spell that allowed you to find out the Destiny of yourself and anyone else named in the spell. Now, by this time they knew that the universe was actually run by different powers, light, hope, Destiny, and several others. So, the spell worked and Marik found out the Destiny of all three of us.  
  
When we saw Marik the next day he was yelling bloody murder at the sky.  
  
It turned out that their Destiny was to serve as a vassal for the Yamis and then be killed in seemingly random accidents.  
  
For awhile they were depressed, but then the depression turned to pure stubborn refusal.  
  
They started to search. They looked through every book on spells, charms hexes, anything that might them, anything at all. Then, on a hunch, Yugi picked up a book on invoking the Deities. It turned out, there was only one person, Goddess, who could stop Destiny.  
  
The three of them look at the radiant being standing in the middle of the room. Finally, she spoke.  
  
"I can give you what you want, for a small price, my children."  
  
"Your children?" questioned Ryou.  
  
She smiled sadly. "My children. You were to be my greatest champions until Destiny claimed you."  
  
"What do you mean you can give us what we want?" demanded Marik.  
  
"I can get you out of you Destiny, of course. But I can also do much more. If you come with me, my children, you will grow into your true heritage."  
  
"Our true heritage?"  
  
"You were created to have powers far beyond your Yamis, and influence in the universe far greater then Destiny. If you except, these powers will be yours and more. Please, I beg of you my children, Destiny must be brought down and only you can do it. She leaves no free will for anyone. Everything is planned out ahead of time for everyone. And even if you don't against her, come with me anyway."  
  
"Why would you want us with you?" asked Ryou suspiciously. This sounded incredibly like one of those stories where the devil lures the innocent.  
  
She looked at him and all at once he could see through her to her very soul, and he knew the others could, too. He could dig her very memories, and she would not fight back. Quietly she said, "I want what all mothers want. To be with her children. Please come with me."  
  
Yugi looked at the others and, receiving their agreement stated quietly, "What do we do?"  
  
* * *  
  
Rain: o . . . k . . . odd story. I know what's going on, but do YOU? Should I continue, or not? Tell me! Also, I haven't made the Yamis the bad guys, they don't even know that Destiny exists much less that she is about to kill of their Hikaris . . . anyway, don't expect updates very often, I've got quite a few stories going on right now, although this might move up on my list of priorities if it gets a lot of good reviews . . . (hint, hint. Nudge, nudge.) 


	2. Destiny&Chance

Rain: Hi! I'm back! Thanks to:  
  
Misura: um, the Yamis' aren't the bad guys, but I'm afraid they're not going to have much say in what happens . . . They're not my favorite characters. Thank you for reviewing!  
  
I Luv Kai: I like doing odd things, it's the way I get joy out of life. Thankies!  
  
SSJ4 Sailor Menz: Glad you think so! Thanks for the review- hope you like the next chapter!  
  
Oh, and I didn't tell you where the hikaris were, did I? They were in Ryou's basement, and the Yamis were upstairs dealing with some sort of problem with Tea playing mediator to keep them from killing each other. Nobody even realizes that the hikaris have left . . . on with the chapter!  
  
Standard disclaimers apply.  
  
* * *  
  
Yami- Yami Yugi  
  
Yugi- Yugi  
  
Malik- Yami  
  
Marik- hikari  
  
Bakura- Yami  
  
Ryou- hikari  
  
* * *  
  
Yami sighed as they finally finished sorting out their current problem. It seemed like they always had a problem these days.  
  
"Come on, let's find our hikaris and go home." Said Malik irritably. This matter of constantly being busy was getting to them all.  
  
Out of the blue there was a feeling of intense magic from down stairs- so much it made theirs powers seem like a magician's trick.  
  
Simultaneously they all ran to the basement- and towards the magic.  
  
After a lot of pushing and shoving they were all down stairs and staring, shocked at what they found.  
  
Yugi, Ryou, and Marik had formed a circle around what had to be a goddess- nothing else could describe her- a chanting goddess.  
  
"Yugi, get away from there." Said Yami slowly, but Yugi didn't seem to hear him. All of their eyes had slipped half shut and they had taken up the chanting. The words were familiar and beautiful, but no matter how hard he tried he could not place them.  
  
By know the four seemed to be made of light, and entirely insubstantial. Bakura stepped forward and grabbed at Ryou, but to their horror his hands went right through him and Ryou didn't even seem to notice.  
  
By now they were all grabbing at the three but no matter what they did they could not touch them. Finally there was a flash of bright light and they all vanished. Tea summed up what everyone was thinking in one sentence.  
  
"What is going ON?"  
  
Meanwhile . . .  
  
"We're here." She said, and the three opened their eyes.  
  
The other three opened eyes as well, and then dropped each other's hands in shock.  
  
Yugi opened his mouth to say something when he felt a rush of power so strong it made tears run down his face. He was only barely aware that his friends- brothers, corrected a little voice in the back of his head- cried out as the same happened to them because by now not only was power filling him but knowledge, as well.  
  
He was about to scream for it to stop, when, suddenly, it did. The power settled itself inside him, but it didn't hurt anymore, and the knowledge was all in his head, completely organized and ready for use.  
  
Straitening up he smiled at the lady and said, "Hi, mom." Making a smile break over her face.  
  
"Is everybody okay?" she asked, concerned.  
  
"We're fine. Don't worry." Said Ryou.  
  
She sighed in relief.  
  
* * *  
  
"What is going ON?" Tea demanded.  
  
"I don't know. Let's look around and see if we can't find something." Yami said, trying to stay calm.  
  
The other shadows nodded, and they all got to work, searching the basement.  
  
It wasn't two minutes before Bakura spoke up and said, in an odd voice, "Come look at this stuff."  
  
When they looked they all had to rub their eyes to make sure they weren't dreaming. In nice, neat little piles by the far walls were all kind of tools for making magic, as well as at least 20 spell books.  
  
"Take a look at this one." Spoke up Malik, pointing to an open book with tools and herbs scattered around it.  
  
He bent down and scanned it, eyebrows.  
  
"Lady Chance is a kind, gentle goddess who rarely gets angry but when she does, she causes damage quite a bit of damage. It is widely believed that the last time she was angered was when the dinosaurs became extinct. Her worst enemy is destiny, and they have been fighting for centuries over who has the right to the human race. Invoke with caution . . ."  
  
* * *  
  
short chapter, but at least I got it out. Well? What do you think? R&R please! 


	3. A year!

Rain: um . . . nothing to say, really . . . 'cept this might become a yaoi/shounen ai . . . I like the Hikari/Yami couples a lot . . .  
  
Disclaimer: I OWN YU-GI-OH!  
  
. . .  
  
. . .  
  
. . .  
  
. . . . if you believe that you're an idiot.  
  
Ril: Thank you!  
  
SSJ4 Sailor Menz: don't worry about the short review, I'm just glad you reviewed in the first place! - Thankies!  
  
Maruken: Thanks for the review, and I promise to try and make this as original as possible!  
  
/Thoughts/  
  
(Me interrupting)  
  
Change of scene  
  
{Telepathic messages}  
  
Yami walked down to the basement, where he knew Bakura and Malik were already looking. Everyone else had given up. Who could blame them?  
  
It had, after all, been a year since the Hikaris' had disappeared.  
  
They, however, could not stop looking. They couldn't shake off the feeling that their Hikaris' were right in front of them, if they knew where to look.  
  
Yami began flicking through the books that they had found in the basement that night. It didn't matter that he had almost memorized them. What mattered is that they didn't have any other leads.  
  
The three of them had been looking through the books and tools in silence for about three hours when Yami's eye caught on the book they had found open that night. On a hunch he flipped back to the page about Lady Chance, and began to read.  
  
Then he stopped, and felt a thrill of excitement course through him.  
  
The book had changed.  
  
He began reading aloud, catching the other two's attention immediately.  
  
"Lady Chance may be known for her long fuse and awful temper, but she is most known for the fact that she is the mother of three gods known as the Lords of the Balance. Their job is to keep the balance between light and dark in the universe, and must therefore over throw Destiny's tyrannical rule. Be wary Invoking them, for though it is simple, they themselves, are not. To invoke state their names. Cyrus, Bade, and Astro."  
  
The lights flickered off.  
  
"What-?" said Malik. "The idiot Invoked them!" yelled Bakura, backing away from the globes of light that were spinning in a cylinder in the center of the room.  
  
"They might be able to help!" Yami said, staring at the orbs with hopeful eyes.  
  
It was then that the orbs decided to solidify into a wall of light that vanished as quickly as it came.  
  
"Okay, why are there no lights on?" came a soft, familiar voice. Yami's eyes widened.  
  
"Here's a better question. What just happened?" came another familiar voice, obviously angry.  
  
"My guess would be we've been Invoked." Came yet another familiar voice, this one sounding amused. Bakura sucked in his breath.  
  
"How long has it been since we were on earth, anyway?"  
  
"For us or for them?"  
  
"Them."  
  
"A year."  
  
"A YEAR?!"  
  
"That IS what I said."  
  
"Oh, somebody turn the lights on, I have a feeling I know who Invoked us and that we have a LOT of explaining to do . . ."  
  
"You're right, you do!" Bakura practically yelled as Malik flipped on the lights, revealing their hikaris, who promptly covered their eyes to shield them from sudden bright light.  
  
Slowly lowering their hands, the three of them looked meekly at their Yamis'.  
  
"Well?" growled Malik.  
  
"Um, does it help any if we say we never meant to stay away that long?" Ryou asked tentatively.  
  
"No!" the three of them snapped.  
  
"I didn't think so." Ryou said.  
  
Yugi frowned. "I really can't afford to do this right now . . ." he informed them, his voice soft.  
  
"What were you working on?" asked Ryou, frowning as well.  
  
"The main catenaries, we're doing a shift." Yugi said.  
  
Marik's eyes widened.  
  
"What are you doing still here? Go! Go! Bu-Bye!" Marik practically yelled. Yugi vanished.  
  
Ryou inspected his nails.  
  
"What?!" Marik demanded.  
  
Still inspecting his nails as though he expected dirt to crop up, he said, "He probably froze it, you know."  
  
Marik froze.  
  
Ryou looked up and cracked up laughing. "I-I'm s-sorr-ry." He gasped. Calming down he added, "I couldn't resist."  
  
Marik glowered.  
  
"Are you going to explain where you have been all this time?!" demanded Bakura angrily.  
  
"I should think that would be obvious." Said Ryou dryly.  
  
"Meaning . . .?" Malik asked.  
  
Marik picked up the book that Yami had dropped in the commotion.  
  
"Lady Chance may be known for her long fuse and awful temper, but she is most known for the fact that she is the mother of three gods known as the Lords of the Balance. Their job is to keep the balance between light and dark in the universe, and must therefore over throw Destiny's tyrannical rule. Be wary Invoking them, for though it is simple, they themselves, are not. To invoke state their names. Bade, and Astro."  
  
"And Cyrus." Added Yami automatically.  
  
FLASH  
  
"Didn't I just say I have to work on the Main Catenaries?"  
  
"Go away." Ordered Marik, scowling.  
  
"Whatever you say."  
  
FLASH  
  
"Anyway, as I said before, we've been working on over throwing Destiny, the brat." The last part was added as a mutter, making Ryou roll his eyes.  
  
"Where did Yugi go?" asked Yami, finally finding his voice.  
  
Ryou smiled slightly." You heard him, he's working on the Main Catenaries. And let me tell you, I don't envy him."  
  
"Amen." Muttered Marik.  
  
"What's wrong with working on the- what did you call? Canary?" asked Malik, curiosity getting the better of him.  
  
"Catenary." Corrected Marik. "And it's very detailed, complicated work that involves a certain mind set, type of power, and requires complete control. Also, Worlds have a habit of blowing up if something goes wrong with a catenary. Or, in this case as he's working on the Main Catenary, Universe's."  
  
Bakura snorted. "They wouldn't give weaklings like you that kind of power. You're lying."  
  
Ryou straitened up and made a twisting motion with his hands at his Yami, inadvertently making Marik burst out laughing.  
  
Bakura opened his mouth to demand what was going on, then stopped. He did this several times before placing a hand on his neck and staring in horror at his Hikari.  
  
"What's wrong with him?" demanded Malik.  
  
"Ry-Ryou t-took h-his v-v-v-v-voice!" Marik gasped out before sliding back into gales of laughter.  
  
"You took his voice?" Yami asked curiously, looking at Ryou who was watching this all quite calmly.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"So he would understand why we're considered to be among the most dangerous and powerful of Gods. We don't take things lightly, not even from you guys." All through this Bakura stared at his Hikari as though seeing him for the first time.  
  
It was only then that Yami noticed their clothing. Ryou was wearing black boots, black leather pants, a flame red tank top, and a pair black armguards that went from his wrist to just above his elbow. His once brown eyes had lightened into a swirling crimson-brown, that seemed to scream power and authority. Two gold hoops hung from his and dark purple eyeshadow had been applied to make his eyes stand out even more. His hair had been died crimson for about an inch from the bottom and had been spiked.  
  
Marik's outfit what similar to Ryou's, but not identical. He had the same black pants and boots, but his shirt was bright gold, as were his lips and eyeshadow. Instead of armguards he had several gold bracelets all up and down his arms, his once lavender eyes had changed into a deep, rich blue which, like Ryou's, stood out from his face thanks to the gold make up. His hair had dark blue, almost black streaks running through them, and it had also been spiked.  
  
He couldn't help but find this odd. Maybe the old Marik would have worn clothes like that, but the Old Ryou certaintly would not have.  
  
What had happened to them?  
  
{}{}{}  
  
Rain: correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that Marik's eyes were lavender. Anyway, I'm sorry I took so long, I'll try to have the next chapter up soon. Review please! 


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